Die Hard (1988) is a classic action movie. Go watch it if you haven’t already seen it. Otherwise this post won’t make sense. There’s a surprisingly long section on wikipedia discussing the motifs in the movie. It touches on issues of masculinity, corporations, and xenophobia, all of which are too complex to discuss on this blog.
This post will focus on the scene where the protagonist John McClane approaches the main villain Hans Gruber who has taken Holly, McClane’s ex-wife as a hostage. There’s been plenty of action movies which end with the villain taking a person hostage such as True Lies (1994) and Air Force One (1997) but what makes Die Hard worthy of discussion on this blog is how this scene relates to principles of magic.
McClane starts the confrontation holding the empty machine gun, which he immediately drops upon seeing Gruber hold his own gun to Holly. This is important because the act of putting the empty gun down makes it appear that McClane is now completely unarmed. This principle is used all the time in magic. There is an implicit assumption that people can generally only hold one thing in their hands. If you have something palmed, using that same hand to pick up something else such as a magic wand or pen really sells the illusion. Then putting the wand or pen will suggest the hand is now empty.
The second great part about this scene is the use of the phrase “yippee ki yay” as a callback. Callbacks are great because they add a sense of both uniqueness and togetherness. It makes the individual show seem special which is a huge appeal of live entertainment. Likewise callbacks also act like an inside joke indicating that the magician and the audience are both a part of the same shared experience.
The last important concept that applies to magic is that of timing and commitment. McClane is patient and waits for the right moment to do the secret move. And when he does, he follows through. As a magician, its likewise important to not only wait for the right moment but to also know that when the time comes, you must not hesitate and trust in your abilities. Luckily for us, the worst thing that can happen if we fail is that the magic trick flops.
Keep this in mind for when an international terrorist organization interrupts your holiday party and captures your ex-wife.